Shiver My Timbers
by Adina Mizu
Summary: Okay, this is a song fic. But the song's at the end and nicely tied up so you can skip it entirely and still enjoy the story. Roxas has a bad run in with captain Flint and his crew, which is where Axel, Demyx and Xigbar are. no pairings.


Shiver Me Timbers

Warning: Volatile

Roxas, Xigbar, Axel, Demyx

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I know people tend to hate song fics, I do myself, But I wrote this when I had writers block hoping it would help and it did.

It was an awkward thing to see really. But being able to actually see Xigbar dressed as a pirate sealed the rumor that he was one at one point. Axel laughed under his breath as they walked through the town. Demyx was completely enthralled with the people of this world. Well, they weren't exactly 'people', which is why Demyx was so entertained. The inhabitances of this world were quite literally animals. Roxas was having quite a hard time with a family of ducks who refused to keep a steady pace.

"Hurry up!" Xigbar called back to the three stragglers.

Axel, Demyx, and Roxas, after a bit of sidestepping, regrouped with Xigbar in front of a signature booth.

"Lets go." Xigbar ordered after they signed the document, leading the group up the plank.

This particular mission was a bit of an odd one; at least in the way it was being done. It was a simple mission to locate the world's keyhole and unlock it. However, this one-to-two person mission had somehow grown to four. The mission had primarily been given to Roxas and Axel. Demyx had been sent with them to get him out of the castle and Xigbar had just shown up and started barking orders. He wasn't exactly in a good mood today.

The keyhole was on an island far out in the ocean, yet the island couldn't be found on any map. Not having any knowledge of its true location made it impossible to get to by portal or gummi ship. But through some vigilant spying Xigbar had finally found a vessel rumored to be heading to that very island.

As they boarded the ship Xigbar seemed to recognize someone.

"Stay here, I'll be right back." He said leaving them to push and shove through the crowded deck.

Standing back against the railing the trio counted off all the animal civilians that they could see. Ducks, Pigs, Dogs, Crabs, Goats and even a few they couldn't even identify as animals. There were a few humans in the crowd, but they were the minority by far.

"Good news boys, we're now a part of the crew. It's not a free pass to the island though. You'll have to earn your stay here. Now, Demyx you've been placed on deck on deck for the most part. Axel you'll be below deck with the cargo work. I'll be on lookout mostly." Xigbar informed them upon his return.

"What about me?" Roxas asked already expecting something unpleasant.

"You, Mini-dude, are the cabin boy." Xigbar answered with a grin.

Axel and Demyx laughed and patted the short on the back. Roxas glared at Xigbar, ignoring his 'friends' laughter.

"Oh, come on little man, it's the only way they'd let a small guy like you in.", Xigbar explained, "You are a little young for their standards."

"It's not so bad Roxas, cabin boys are usually well taken care of." Axel said with mock comfort.

"They have to be, no captain wants a worn down personal plaything." Demyx cracked throwing both him and Axel into a new fit of laughter.

Roxas gave Demyx a good punch in the shoulder as a horn blows off ship.

"Okay kiddos, show time. By the way, I wouldn't be makin' jokes like that on this ship. These guys would cut your throat in a heart beat, and their captain's even worse." Xigbar warned.

The crowd parted and the crew on board rallied along the rails with a clear path to the captain's quarters.

"Who is he?" Roxas asked with anxiety.

The crowd thinned further as a tall man with dark blue over coat and a black-feathered hat stepped into view from the large crowded street. He had black hair and a thick short beard. He had dark imposing form that grew as he climbed the ramp up to the ships deck. He was silent as he made his way across the cleared deck.

"Captain Flint." Xigbar answered quietly.

Captain Flint stopped as he stepped before his cabin door.

"Cast off you lazy scum!" He bellowed.

The crew jumped to life and scurried to their work.

"You d'ere!" a thick accent heavy voice calls out.

Roxas looks over to see a mammoth of a man making his way toward him. The man had dark skin and held three flint pistols at his waist.

"You de new cabin boy?" He asked in his thick sailors accent.

Roxas nodded.

"De captain be callin' for ya, He want 'is rum." With the simple message delivered the man turned and left.

"Better hurry, that's not a patient man." Xigbar gave a final warning before turning to his own duties.

Axel and Demyx were already gone, leaving Roxas to struggle against the current of crewmembers preparing for the voyage. When Roxas reached the cabin landing he was met by Axel pushing a cart of glasses and rum.

"Good luck, Rox." He said handing over the cart to Roxas.

Taking a deep breath Roxas knocked on the door before pushing it open.

"Hurry up, Boy!" Flint growled in annoyance.

Roxas picked up the pace and hastily pushed the cart over to him. Pouring glasses he hands them out quickly. Flint leapt from his chair and back handed Roxas so hard he flew off his feet backwards onto the floor.

"_YOU SCUM! WHO D'YOU THINK YOU ARE! YOU SERVE THE CAPTAIN FIRST ALWAYS! DON'T FORGET IT!_" He bellowed, his shipmates merely watching.

Roxas stared in fright and surprise as he held hi cheek, blood already running down his chin from his busted lip.

"Don't you cry, boy." Flint said menacingly.

He took a step forward and Roxas scooted backwards. In a single stride Flint was on him with as knife held just inches from his right eye.

"I'll have no cryin' cowards on my ship. I see a single tear and i'll cut your eye's out, _Savvy?_" Flints voice was deep and low, speaking the threat with malicious promise.

Roxas nodded slowly.

"_Good. _Now get out." Flint stood allowing Roxas to scramble up and out the door.

"Jeez, Roxas what happened?" Axel asked when Roxas came bolting out the door.

Roxas turned to face him revealing the puffy cheek and busted lip.

"The hell happened in there?" Axel asked taking a step closer to look at Roxas wound.

"Xigbar wasn't kidding about this guys temper." Roxas answered, hi voice strained.

"Bastard." Axel muttered under his breath.

"Hey red!" A voice called from the lower deck entrance.

"Damn it." Axel cursed glancing at the source.

"Go," Roxas said turning away, "I'm gunna go take care of this."

Below deck Roxas sat alone nursing his cheek with a small icepack Demyx had whipped up for him.

"Hey, Little-dude." Xigbar sat across from Roxas.

Roxas didn't reply but looked away.

"It's a few months, try and hold out alright?"

Xigbar took Roxas chin in his hands and moved his face toward the nearest light source.

"Not that bad. I've seen worse from 'im"

"Plenty of time to see it too." Roxas said bitterly jerking his head out of Xigbar's grasp.

Xigbar sighed and went to leave.

"Hey, no matter what, don't fight back. We can't afford to kill them yet."

Roxas made no reply.

The days passed slowly as the sun got hotter the farther they sailed. They didn't even bother to count them anymore. Every few days though Roxas would stagger into the crews cabin sporting a new scar or other injury. Roxas supposed those days were 'Violent Fridays'. He assumed it was this because it was a Friday when they started, or at least he thought as much. At least seven days passed between these more violent outbursts.

It was therefore a truly happy day when land was finally spotted. However, it just happened landed on a Friday.

"Alright boys, lets go! Get those asses _moving!_" Flint walked up and down the deck shouting orders.

Demyx and Axel were scrambling about with shovels, rope and various other such tools. Xigbar helped load chests into the dinghies as Roxas stayed out of sight. Something he'd learned was best to do when Fridays came around. Flint began pointing at men who were to come to shore when most of the preparations were done. Xigbar, Axel, and Demyx were among the chosen, but Roxas refused to budge when his own name was called. Their boat was just being lowered when Flint hollered standing in front of his own.

"ROXAS!"

Roxas flinched.

"Git Your Skinny Sea Whelp Ass Over Here _Now!_"

Roxas hesitated before crawling out of the small place he'd hiding and watching from. He moved through the crowd slowly toward the infuriated captain. As soon as Roxas was a few steps away Flint grabbed him harshly by the collar and dragged him to the boat. Flint was swearing and cursing him the whole way. Flint then, with a powerful toss, threw Roxas into his own vessel. Roxas landed hard on a chest and cracks his right arm on a bench. Biting his lip he fought not make a sound. That would only induce more abuse from the deranged pirate. Flint then boarded the boat and they too were lowered into the water.

The sun was sweltering as they trekked across the islands humid forest path. Stopping only every now and then to draw a new path onto the map. Xigbar and Axel were charged with pulling a chest as Demyx carried the digging supplies. Roxas was pinned to Flint's side every so often handing him his canteen or receiving a smack or kick. When Flint worked on the map Roxas continuously massaging his right elbow. It didn't seem broken to him, but that didn't stop it from hurting any.

Finally their trek ended as Flint barked orders to begin digging. The sun rose higher and blazed hotter as time went on. Eventually a song started to drift up over the workingmen as the work became harder. Roxas listened as Axel, Demyx and Xigbar dug. Xigbar was humming along and before long the song was being belted out by all the crew.

_"Shiver my timbers, shiver my soul,_

_Yo, ho, heave, ho,_

_There are men who's hearts are as black as coal,_

_Yo, ho, heave ho,"_

Roxas listened as Flint walked around the top of the growing pit, watching the men work intently.

_"And they sailed their ship cross the ocean blue,_

_A blood thirsty captain and a cut throat crew,"_

Roxas glances at Flint quickly before his gaze retuned to his working comrades.

_"This was dark a tale as was ever told,_

_Of the lust for treasure and the love of gold,_

_Shiver my timbers, shiver my sides,_

_Yo, ho, heave, ho,_

_There are hunters as strong as the winds and tide,_

_Yo, ho, heave, ho,_

_And those buccaneers drown their sins in rum,_

_The devil himself would have to call them scum,"_

Xigbar stopped and reached for his canteen, which sat beside Roxas. Still humming he looked back as the chests were being moving into the sizable pit.

_"Every man or boy would have to kill his mate,_

_For a bag of pennies or a piece of eight,_

_A piece of eight,_

_A piece of eight,_

_Five, Six, Seven, Eight!"_

The chests were heavy and in this heat it was growing harder. Flint watched stepping slowly around the edges of the pit.

_"Ula wacka, Ula wacka,_

_Something not right,_

_Many wicked icky things gunna happen tonight,_

_Bula wacka, Bula wacka,_

_Stay low and beware,_

_When there's money in the ground there's murder in the air,_

_Murder in the air,_

_Murder in the air,"_

The chests were all in place now; Xigbar was standing up and stretching to switch off with Axel. Flint now had also completed his circle.

_"One more time now,_

_Shiver my timbers, shiver my bones,_

_Yo, ho, heave, ho,_

_There are secrets as secret as Davy Jones,_

_Yo, ho, heave, ho,_

_When the main sail set and the anchors weighed,_

_There's no turning back from any course that's laid,_

_And when greed and villainy sail the sea,_

_You can bet your boots there'll be treachery!,_

_Treachery!"_

Xigbar placed his canteen back behind Roxas, still humming the song.

_"Shiver my timbers, Shiver my sails,_

_Dead men tell no tales."_

_**BANG**_

A gunshot rang out at the last verse, two pistols were going off and men started falling Xigbar pushed Roxas into the pit and lay still covering him as best his own small frame could. Roxas squeezed his eyes shut, far to afraid to move or utter a sound.

The shots rained down for what seemed forever. Finally it stopped. No one moved, no made a sound, no one breathed. Footsteps faded but still nothing. A good ten minutes passed before Xigbar moved.

"You alright, little man?" He asked breathing heavily.

"I-I think so." Roxas answered in small strained voice.

Sitting up slowly Roxas looked carefully over the pit of dead bodies, his breath catches.

Axel.

Demyx.

He scrambled up and looked for Axels tell tale red hair, but with everything stained with blood it was difficult to make anything out. He didn't dare call out for fear of Flint returning to finish the job. At a loss he started digging, he moved bodies franticly looking for his friends.

A pile of corpses shifted slightly and Roxas jumped up and began pulling off bodies. Demyx was pulling up Axel who had taken a hit to the shoulder.

"Lucky it's only a shoulder wound. It was aimed at _his_ head." Axel said nudging Demyx.

"Where's Xig?" Demyx asked.

"Over here." Xigbar called still seated where Roxas had left him.

It was now that Roxas noticed he was gripping his side, blood seeping between his fingers.

"Shit!" Demyx ran over summoning water to help cut off the bleeding.

"We need to find that damn keyhole!" Xigbar said gasping as the cool water touched the bullet hole.

"How are we supposed to do that with you two injured?" Demyx asked serious.

"I'm not that bad off." Axel argued.

"You wont be able to throw your chakrams. And I wont be able to handle both keyblades either." Roxas said moving his left hand over to his right elbow.

"Thought you said you weren't shot." Xigbar said questioningly.

"I wasn't, Its when I was thrown into the boat earlier." Roxas answered.

"That no good bastard." Axel hissed.

"This isn't a world we need," Roxas said simply, "We'll be better off without it."

All of them agreeing from their sorry state; Roxas opened a portal and waited till everyone was through. Looking back he thought to himself. _Never_ again will he dream of pirates.

_Please Review_

I wrote this a few years ago to help over come writers block, imagine my surprise when it turned out pretty good. Despite it being a song fic, this story is one of my favorites.

BTW- I'm not saying all song fics are bad, just the majority. There's just a very delicate line between epic and fail with them. Its easy to become irritating and lose your way when writing one. If you lose you balance with the song and story then you end up with a lemon (not the good kind). But I'm not exactly one to judge.


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